Rams' Mikell hopes to prove Eagles made mistake letting him go

~ The Rams host the Eagles at noon in today's season opener

ST. LOUIS -- Quintin Mikell took a peek at the schedule after saying yes to the St. Louis Rams. Jackpot! Facing the old team right away.

The free safety spent his first eight NFL seasons in Philadelphia and led the team in tackles last year. The Eagles didn't attempt to sign him before a free agency spending spree designed to fuel a Super Bowl run.

They'll have to get past the player they cut loose and the on-the-rise new team that dangled a four-year deal.

"I was like, 'OK, here we go,'" Mikell said.

The Rams made a six-victory jump last year, leaving behind their doormat days. They were in contention in the weak NFC West until the final week and finished 7-9 in Year 2 under coach Steve Spagnuolo.

For Mikell's personal grudge match, they'll be the feisty underdogs at home against a perennial contender that arguably did the most to hit the ground running after the lockout.

"They're getting all the hype right now," Rams cornerback Ron Bartell said. "But no trophies are given away in September."

The Rams' free agent class can't match the Eagles' haul, but they upgraded on offense with guard Harvey Dahl and wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, and Mikell is among four new starters on defense.

"I'm one of his biggest fans," Eagles coach Andy Reid said about Mikell. "I won't be one of his biggest fans on Sunday because we're playing him, but I'm always pulling for Quintin."

The pass rush could challenge the Eagles' young offensive line with first-rounder Robert Quinn joining ends James Hall and Chris Long.

One of the newcomers, outside linebacker Brady Poppinga, brings playoff experience from Green Bay.

"I think sometimes people almost cut themselves short, afraid to be great, afraid to be successful," Poppinga said. "I think it's a matter of recognizing that the potential is there and going with it, running for it, going after it."

Quarterback Sam Bradford's rookie year was one of the best in NFL history, although running back Steven Jackson was the key to the offense with a franchise-best sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Bradford enters his second season with an improved set of pass catchers and expanded playbook under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

The Eagles were a franchise the Rams wanted to become even before Philadelphia's free agent splurge. The Eagles have made nine playoff appearances, won six division titles and played in five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl in a dozen years under Reid.

Reid gave Spagnuolo his big break, hiring him as a defensive assistant in 1999. That job eventually led to a turn as the Giants' defensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008 and then to the Rams' rebuilding job.

"It'll be good to see him before the game and good to see him after. In between, he'll be trying to get after us, we'll be trying to get after them, so that's how it works," Spagnuolo said. "I am very grateful to Andy for giving me a start.

"There are a lot of good coaches out there that haven't coached in the NFL."

The Eagles have stockpiled talent in a quest to end the franchise's 51-year championship drought, adding cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, end Jason Babin and tackle Cullen Jenkins on defense. Wide receiver Steve Smith has taken reps with the first string, and running back Ronnie Brown and backup quarterback Vince Young add more depth on offense.

All of this, and Michael Vick, too.

Vick started at quarterback in the Pro Bowl and was the AP's Comeback Player of the Year, distancing himself from the jail time served from a dogfighting scandal. He developed all-around skills to go with those legs and took advantage of top-shelf skill players DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy.

Maclin will make his NFL debut in his hometown after overcoming illness this summer.

"It means a lot," Maclin said. "Going back to when I got the news all the way to where I am now, it means a lot."